PHILADELPHIA, PA — H.R. 27, a bill to Sunset the Tax Code on Jan. 1, 2020 for the purpose of setting a hard deadline for tax reform, has now reached 144 cosponsors in the House. The legislation, authored by U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is supported by a wide cross section of House members, with nine full committee chairs, including House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX), members of leadership like Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Greg Walden (R-OR), several members of the House Freedom Caucus, and bipartisan support from Collin Peterson (D-MN).

“For years in Washington there has been a growing rumble about the need for comprehensive tax reform,” said Chairman Goodlatte. “And the American people have long asked for a simpler, fairer tax code. It’s clear that the time for tax reform is now. The Tax Code Termination Act provides the push needed to move comprehensive tax reform forward. Now, with over 100 bipartisan cosponsors, it’s clear that there is mounting support to scrap the tax code and start work on a new tax system. It has become all too clear that the current code is broken beyond repair and cannot be fixed – we must start over. While I have yet to hear an argument for maintaining our current tax code, I hear argument after argument for why we need a new one. Comprehensive tax reform will not happen overnight, but we should not delay taking a first step forward. Setting a date certain for a new tax system will provide a real timeline for action. I urge my colleagues to sign on in support of the Tax Code Termination Act, and provide the spark needed to bring real tax reform across the finish line.”

Additionally, this past week Americans for Tax Reform president Grover Norquist endorsed the legislation in a letter sent to all 535 members of Congress.

“‘Sunset the Tax code’ will be a powerful tool to convince Congress to begin the heavy lifting of rewriting our broken tax code,” said Norquist. “Everyone knows something must be done, and this will be the catalyst to action.”

Let Freedom Ring (LFR), a public policy non-profit organization committed to promoting Constitutional government, free enterprise and traditional values, launched the Sunset the Tax Code effort last year with the goal of passing H.R. 27 to help create the conditions for tax reform and encourage Congress to work from a clean slate on new legislation.

“We are pleased to have such strong support representing an ideologically broad range of members in Congress,” said Let Freedom Ring president Colin Hanna. “This is the year for Congress to show their seriousness on tax reform by passing this legislation to Sunset the Tax Code. A deadline will focus Congress on this urgent issue. And all members, regardless of ideology, support major tax reform. We need to break the logjam and H.R. 27 is the way to do it.”